Turn your cat into a fearsome warrior with 3D printed cat armor

Nov 2, 2015 | By Benedict

Jwall, the talented designer and maker behind the Print That Thing, has unveiled his latest 3D printed creation. With Halloween approaching, Jwall felt that his cat Bobo should be part of the festivities, so set about making a CAD model for a 3D printable suit of cat armor, which he could 3D print for Bobo to wear. The process was a massive success, and the designer has published a YouTube video of the results. Most importantly, the files for the 3D printable armor are available to download on Thingiverse, so you can fire up your own 3D printer and ready your mog for battle.

After sketching some possible designs on paper, Jwall decided that the armor needed spikes, to replicate the Bobo’s own spiky fur in an exaggerated fashion. “I suggested that it should have spikes, because I always pet him in a reverse pattern so his hair’s all crazy and he looks like a spiky tiger,” Jwall explained. After a long and drawn-out 3D modelling stage using Cinema 4D software, the armor was ready for 3D printing.

The 3D printed armor comes complete with a special hole for attaching a leash, as well as a name tag ring on the chest-plate, in case your armored cat still blends in with the kitty crowd. If you’re feeling particularly generous with your feline friend (which, if you’re giving them 3D printed armor, you probably are), there is even a dedicated catnip holder at the front. The complete suit of 3D printed armor consists of 18 parts, which can be fixed together using 3D printed parts alone or with brass connectors.

The Print That Thing 3D printed cat armor project is also a collaborative one. Jwall has provided a fantastic design for body and tail armor, but the suit still requires a helmet. He has asked for submissions, which can be posted to any of the site’s social media accounts, and will 3D model and print the best design. “We thought it would be cool if we opened the project up to more collaborators,” said Jwall. “Bobo and I will pick the winner and design the helmet around your design.” The designer of the best submission will also receive an actual 3D printed suit of cat armor, helmet included, for free.

After watching the video, we can’t decide whether Bobo looks comfortable or not in his 3D printed protective gear, but presumably there’s an adjustment period for an animal which generally spends its time wearing nothing at all. If you decide to print your own suit of cat armor, don’t forget to take plenty of photos and send them to Print That Thing. It’s surely only a matter of time before we have hordes of armored cats on the streets, and we can’t wait! “Now cats all over the world can roam safely,” Jwall concluded.